Mobile broadband comparative review

Mobile broadband is making Internet access available almost anywhere, however selecting the right provider and product can prove tricky. To help you choose a mobile broadband product, Moneyhighstreet.com has performed long term tests on mobile broadband products from three providers – Vodafone, 3 Mobile and T mobile.

If having access to the Internet whilst travelling on a train or away from your home or office is important, then the falling prices and better quality of service makes mobile broadband an attractive solution. The problem is that three main suppliers in the UK are vying for your business so which offers the best service and the best value plans?

Our tests were based around ease of use, Internet download speeds, stability of the connection when travelling and how the product performed in poor reception areas. Our aim was to test each product from a users point of view, rather than provide a detailed analysis of the technical aspects of mobile broadband connectivity.

We found that all three mobile broadband products provide an easy to use and cost effective way of connecting to the Internet when mobile, however care has to be taken with selecting the correct payment plans as some of the contract lengths extend to two years.

We also discovered that some products performed better in areas with poor reception than others. This would prove important if you need access to the Internet whilst on holiday, or live in a rural area.

Care also has to be taken over the out of bundle charges. These charges, which take effect if you use more than your contractual monthly bandwidth allowance, can prove expensive if you are not careful with your mobile Internet usage.

In our review we describe the out of bundle charges for each supplier as well as summarise all the various contract plans and pay as you go schemes to help you navigate through these often complex options.

In general, though, we found that mobile broadband offers excellent download speeds – often similar to home based broadband speeds – and at reasonable cost.

When further technological advances and cost reductions come into effect, mobile broadband will become even more attractive, however as it stands now, it provides an excellent way of connecting to the Internet from almost anywhere.